Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz urges Florida Legislator to impose stronger sentences to drivers found guilty of leaving the scene of a crime

(Miami-Dade County, FL) --

With the number of drivers, fleeing the scene of an accident, rapidly increasing in Miami-Dade County, on Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at the Board of County Commission meeting, Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz will urge the Florida legislature to impose stricter mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment for those found guilty. In 2012, Miami-Dade County reported 12,813 incidents of drivers leaving the scene of a crash, the highest in the state of Florida. For this reason, Commissioner Diaz is also working closely with the Attorney General Pam Bondi and her office on the possible language for the bill.

While Florida Statutes section 316.027 imposes maximum terms of imprisonment for drivers found guilty of leaving the scene of a crash involving death or person injury, it does not impose a mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment for those found guilty. Currently, many drivers who are found guilty of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death or personal injury are sentenced below the statutory maximum penalty.

The purpose of this urging is to request the Florida Legislature take action regarding the dangers and alarming frequency of incidents of drivers leaving the scene of a crash not only in Miami-Dade County but statewide. As such, the resolution urges the Florida Legislature to enact legislation that:

1. Make it a second degree felony, with a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 7 years, for drivers who leave the scene of a crash that resulted in the injury of any person2. Imposes a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years to a driver that is found guilty of leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in a death. 3. Imposes a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years to a driver that is found guilty of leaving the scene of a crash, while under the influence, which resulted in a death.4. Eliminate probation, as an alternative to imprisonment, for drivers that are found guilty of leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in personal injury or death.